IndyBlog

DJ spin cycle

Back when Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc first invented hip-hop in the Bronx, it's unlikely anyone was imagining where two turntables and a guitar amp would end up leading us. Sure, there are still a lot of DJs who would sooner listen to Justin Bieber than create break-beats using anything other than vinyl, but the technology of post-turntable DJing continues to evolve.

Even so, current computerized interfaces for live DJing can't hold a candle to the multi-touch DJ light table, which was designed by Gerg Kaufman as his senior degree project at the Kansas City Art Institute. Although just a prototype at the moment, if Kaufman's invention were to get picked up by some major clubs, it could transform the art of DJing.

Whether you're a professional or just a music-lover interested in what the hell those DJs — retro or otherwise — are doing up there, the following demonstration video is definitely worth a look: